Means for the prevention of freezing of water-hydrants.



No. 847,294. PATENTED MAR.12, 1907.

J. PYE.

MEANS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FREEZING OF WATER HYDRANTS.

APPLIOATIION FILED MAY 9, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z. I

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES PYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Patented March 12, 1907.

No. 847,294. Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed May 9, 1904.. Serial No. 207.168.

! conduct the heat in the hydrant-pipe and inclosed water awaysufficiently to lower the temperature of the water to or below thefreezing-point; but, whatever the reason, I

To all whom it nw/y concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES PYE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventednew and useful Means for the Prei claim the combination whereby thisresult is vention of Freezing of VVater-Hydrants, of produced as myinvention. which the following is a specification. To carry out myinvention, I preferably My invention relates to arrangements employ thestructure illustrated in the two whereby the freezing of hydrants,underi sheets of drawings annexed hereto, in which ground pipeconnections, and valves used the same reference characters are used todesfor the circulation of water is prevented. ignate identical parts inall the figures, in

The object of my invention is to provide whichmeans through the use ofwhich all possible Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a stoppageof the flow of water by the formabasin containing my invention, exposingto tion of ice or icicles in or around the valves, view the hydrant andpipe connections usupipe connections, and basins is entirely oballyfound in connection with a fire-plug. viated', always insuring aperfectly free flow Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the basin andits ofwater no matter how low the surrounding interior fittings, a sectionbeing taken on the temperature in the basin surrounding the line A B ofFig. 1.- Fig. 3 is a side view valves and pipes may be. showing thebottom of basin in section and By my invention all danger arising fromshowing the valves and pipe connections in the stoppage of the flow ofwater to be used elevation,and Fig. 4 is a section taken on forfire-fighting purposes will be done away i the line C D of Fig. 2. withand at the same time the cost of main- Similar figures refer to similarparts tenance and of labor reduced and the need of throughout theseveral views. means for artificially heating and keeping the The basin1, with its cover 2 supporting basins and hydrants at a sufficientlyhigh the fire-plug 3 thereon, is built as usual an temperature toprevent the freezing of the is preferably of the usual depth. Itshouldbe water done away with.

water-tight. At or near the bottom 4 of the I-Ieretofore basinsinclosing hydrants have basin 1 is an aperture 5, through which passesbeen fitted up with a false bottom, so as to the inlet-pipe 6, which isconnected with the prevent the cold from reaching the valves valve-body7 of the inlet-valve 8. The

below and to keep the warm damp air from flange 9 of the valve-body 7 isconnected to escaping upwardly, as it is a wellknown fact I the flange10 of another valve-housing 11, that the cold air always has a tendencyto which, with its inclosed valve 12, will be derush in a downwarddirection, while heat at scribed later. Screwed into or otherwise alltimes rises. Not only a false bottom, suitably secured to thevalve-housing 11 is placed about midway between the street the pipe 13,which serves as passage for the level and the valves, but also awrapping of water to be used from the fire-plug 3. A straw or hay, andmostly an addition of ma small valve 15, which has a long valve stemnure placed tightly around the hydrant, is or rod 16 thereon extendingupwardly and resorted to to insure the flow of water in cold which isadapted to be turned on or off by weather, and even then they sometimeshand or wrench by means of a hand-wheel freeze in very severe weather.All this is 17 or a wrench applied to a suitable hexdone away with in myimprovement. agonal, octagonal, or square shaped end 18, I havediscovered that if the hydrant be so is connected to a T-shapedpipe-fitting 19 by arranged that the water in the pipe when the the end19 of its three sides. The end 19 hydrant is not in use can be kept at acertain has a vertical pipe 20 screwed into it, and the level and thebasin surrounding the hydrant end 19 forms a connection with the sewerbefilled to a point above the hydrant-pipe pipe 21. The pipe 20 isconnected by a water-level with a liquid which is preferably smallerleaden or soft-metal pipe 22 with the non-freezing, such as a brinysolution, the valve-housing 11, thereby forming a passage fresh water inthe hydrant-pipe will not between the outlet-pipe 13, pipe 20, and thefreeze in the severest weather. I believe sewer-pipe 21. that thisimmunity from freezing is due to To obtain my objects in view, the basin1 the fact that the uncongealed liquid does not is filled to a lineindicated on the drawing by the letter A with a liquid, preferablyantifreezing and consisting of brine or oil, such height of liquid to becontinually maintained. The apertures through which the inlet and sewerpipes are passed through the walls of the basin 1 are preferably madewater-tight, and all fittings and pipe connections coming in contactwith the salt water or brine are to be coated over with a coat of tar orpitch to prevent the metal from being injured thereby. The valve 12consists of a valve-seat 12 with a boss 12 attached to its lower sideand adapted to have the valve-plate 12 fulcru1ned to said boss 12allowing the valve-plate to swing up against the valve-seat 12 whenforced up by the water rushing in andupwardly through the inlet-pipe 6through the valve-body 7, valve 8, and the pipe 13 when the valve 8 isopened. It will now be seen that when the operator opens the valve 8 andpermits the water to rush up through the pipe 13 into the fire-plug 3the upward movement of the water will force the valveplate 12 upwardlyand againstthe valveseat 12, thereby closing the valve 12 tightly. Thewater having been used as desired and the operator having again shut offthe valve 8, it will be seen that the flow of the water in the pipe 13stopping it will allow the valve-plate 12 to drop according to the lawsof gravity, it being'heavy enough to overcome the hydrostatic pressure,and all the water contained in the pipe 13 down to the level at whichthe pipe 22 opens into the pipe 20 will at once pass out through thevalve 12 into the pipe 20 and run down through said pipe into thesewer-pipe 21 to be carried off to the sewer. This will entirely carryoff all backwater contained in the system. after the fire-plug hasceased to use the water. There is, how ever, some water left below theline on a level with the valve 12 standing in the valvebody 7. Toprevent these fittings from clogging up the system and to avoidfreezing, the liquid, preferably consisting of the briny solution, whichcan be discharged during warm weather when needed, is employed, theoperator opening the valve 15 to the T 19 and allowing the accumulatedwater to pass off'into the sewer-pipe 21. The system is now clearedentirely of any surplus accumu lation. Through the means of the pipe 22and the valve 12 the water will always keep the same level and preventit rising any higher in case of bad valves and valve-seats in theinlet-valve 8. The pipe 20, open at the top above the level of thebrine, serves as an overflow in case any surface water accidentally getsinto the basin and discharges it before it has time to mix with andweaken the brine, and thereby reduce its efhciency. I believe it alsohas an important function in admitting the warm air from the sewers,which keeps up the temperature of the air in the basin above the liquid,so as to prevent the its freezing, even if it is not a non-freezingliquid.

It will be seen that with my arrangement, owing to the facts statedabove, all danger of freezing up will be prevented, a low Waterlevelassured, and cleanliness in the system obtained, the brine or salt watersurrounding the valves, pipes, and other fittings doing away with thefalse bottom, straw, hay, and manure.

While I have shown and described my in vention as embodied in the formWhichI at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, itwill be understood that it is capable of modifications and that I do notdesire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claimsexcept as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with the water-mains extending upward there through, means forregulating the level at which the water in the pipe shall stand when thehydrant is not in use. a non-freezing liquid such as a solution of saltin the basin extending above the hydrant-pipe water-level, and the sewerdrain-pipe extending upward in the basin and opening above the level ofthe brine.

2. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with water-mains extending upward therethrough, means forregulating the level. at which the water in the pipe shall stand whenthe hydrant is not in use, a protecting liquid in the basin extendingabove the hydrantpipe Water-level, and the sewer drain-pipe extendingupward in the basin and opening above the level of the protectingliquid.

In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with. the water-mains extending upward therethrough, means forautomatically regulating the level at whieh the water in the pipe shallstand when the hydrant is not freezing liquid such as a solution of saltin the basin extending above the hydrant-pipe water-level, and the sewerdrain-pipe extending upward in the basin above the level of the brine.

4. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected'with the water-mains extending upward therethrough, means forautomatically regulating the level at which the water in the pipe shallstand when the hydrant is not in use, a nonfreezing liquid such as asolution of salt in the basin extending above the hydrant-pipewater-level, a sewer drain-pipe extending upward in the basin above thelevel of the brine solution, and a valve opening near the bottom of thebasin and adapted to open the sewer drain-pipe to disch arge the brine.

in use. a n0n- 5. In a hydrant, the combination with the water-tightbasin, of the sewer drain-pipe extending upward therein, thehydrant-pipe connected with the watermain, a valve in said hydrant-pipenear its lower end adapted to close automatically when the water isflowing upward in the hydrant-pipe and to open automatically when thewater is at rest therein, connections between said valve and sewerdrain-pipe, and a valve adapted to open the sewer drain-pipe and locatedbeneath. the

-level of the valve in the hydrant-pipe. 6. In a hydrant, thecombination with the water-tight basin, of the sewer drain-pipeextending into the bottom thereof and having a branch extendingvertically upward therein, the hydrant-pipe connected with thewatermain, a valve in said hydrant-pipe near its lower end adapted toclose automatically when the water is flowing upward in the hydrant-pipeand to open automatically when the water is at rest therein, anantifreezing liq uid, such as a solution of salt adapted to fill thelower part of the basin and extending above the valve in thehydrant-pipe and to near the top of the vertical branch of the sewerdrain-pipe, connections between the valve in the hydrant-pipe and thevertical branch of the sewer drainpipe, said connections being locatedbeneath the level of the brine, and a valve in the sewer drain-pipelocated near the bottom of the basin and adapted to be opened todischarge the brine therefrom.

7. In a hydrant, the combination with the water-tight basin, of thesewer drain-pipe extending upward therein to about half the depth of thebasin, the hydrant-pipe connected with the water-main, a valve in saidhydrant-pipe near its lower end adapted to close automatically when thewater is flowing upward in the hydrant-pipe and to open auto maticallywhen the water is at rest therein, a solution of salt or some similarnon-freezing liquid in said basin extending to near the top of the sewerdrain-pipe, and connections between said valve and sewer drain-pipelocated far beneath the surface of the brine.

8. In a hydrant, the combination with the water-tight basin, of thesewer drain-pipe ex tending upward therein to about half the depth ofthe basin, the hydrant-pipe connect ed with the water-main, a valve insaid hydrant-pipe near its lower end adapted to close automatically whenthe water is flowing upward in the hydrant-pipe and to openautomatically when the water is at rest therein, a solution of salt orsome similar non-freezl ing liquid in said basin extending to near thetop of the sewer drain-pipe, connections between said valve and sewerdrain-pipe located far beneath the surface of the brine, a i valveadapted to open the sewer drain-pipe at its lowermost point in the basinto drain out the brine, and means for operating said valve located nearthe top of the basin.

9. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with the water-main extending upward therethrough, means forautomatically regulating the level at which the water in the pipe shallstand. when the hydrant is not in use, a protecting liquid in the basinextending above the hydrant-pipe water-level, and the sewer drainpipeextending upward in the basin above the level of the protecting liquid.

10. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with the water-mains extending upward therethrough, means forautomatically regulating the level at which the water in the pipe shallstand when the hydrant is not in use, a protecting liquid in the thehydrant pipe water level, the sewer drain-pipe extending upward in thebasin above the level of the protecting liquid, and a valve in thedrain-pipe opening near the bottom of the basin and adapted to dischargethe protecting liquid into the sewer. Y

11. In a hydrant, the combination with the basin, of the hydrant-pipeconnected with the water-mains extending upward therethrough, means forregulating the level at which the water in the pipe shall stand when thehydrant is not in use, a nonfreez ing liquid such as a solution of saltin the basin extending above the hydrant-pipe waterlevel, a sewerdrain-pipe opening nea the bottom of the basin, and a valve connectedwith said drain-pipe and adapted to open it to discharge the brine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my I name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES PYE.

IVituesses:

! CARL MELTZER, l WILLIAM G. BLOMSTRAN.

basin extending above

